


Tuesday’s Grey

by Storybook_Wolf



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M, First Relationship, Jancy Fic Week, Sneaking Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 17:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14899289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storybook_Wolf/pseuds/Storybook_Wolf
Summary: For the Summer of Jancy Fanfic Week Day 3: Family Circus, I've focused on my favourite familial relationship in the show, Jonathan and Joyce. In particuar, how Joyce might react to catching Nancy sneaking out of the house at 5 am. Brace yourselves for awkwardness.This particular inspiration came from VerityR's fantastic story 'Monday I'm in Love', which is set the day after the gate is closed and is a terrific Nancy character study, as well as a look at Jancy's relationship. My story picks up right where hers left off, but switches the POV to Jonathan. If you have read VerityR's story, you might have high expectations - please lower them. The quality drop-off between hers and mine is like the difference between Mean Girls and Mean Girls 2.





	Tuesday’s Grey

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Monday I'm in Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12598688) by [VerityR](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerityR/pseuds/VerityR). 



Jonathan’s alarm broke into his dreams on the dot of 5 a.m., even though it was muffled under his pillow (to reduce the chances of his mom and Will hearing it). He stirred to life, and managed to reach under the pillow to shut it off without disturbing the girl nestling against him.

If it weren’t for the comforting weight of her head on his chest, he would have believed this was just a dream. A few days ago he’d never even kissed anyone properly, and now he seemed to be making a habit of starting the day next to Nancy Wheeler, their limbs entangled like vines.

He hated to wake her when she looked so peaceful, but she needed to get home before her parents realised she was gone – she’d snuck out after dark last night, stealing her brother’s bike and riding over so that they could talk face-to-face about what this thing between them was. He’d ended up blurting out that he was in love with her, which he knew was not exactly the suavest move two days into a relationship. But he didn’t want there to be any bullshit between them: just honesty, openness, and as little physical space as possible.

‘Nance,’ he whispered. ‘Time to get up.’

‘Mmmmfm …’ moaned Nancy, not opening her eyes. ‘Too early.’

‘Well I’d be happy for us to just stay here all day,’ he said, ‘but I think our parents would probably feel otherwise.’

‘Screw them,’ she said, squeezing him a little tighter but otherwise not shifting her position.

He ran one finger along the bridge of her nose, then  _booped_  the end of it. She still didn’t open her eyes, but smiled and crinkled her nose.

‘What?’ she asked.

‘Sorry, can’t help myself – you just have a really great nose,’ he said.

‘Oh yeah?’

‘Yeah,’ said Jonathan. ‘It’s so tiny and perfect, and the way it turns up at the end is just ridiculously cute. Plus it cracks me up that someone so tough and fearless has such an adorable lil button nose. It does undermine you a little when you’re trying to square off with a Demogorgon or a government agent or a shadow monster or whatever.’

She finally lifted her head from his chest, to glare at him. ‘Hey!’ She lightly slapped his bicep. ‘I’ll have you know I am  _extremely_  intimidating.’

Conceding that she really needed to get home, Nancy got out of bed (though they did linger by the window for a little while for a goodbye kiss before she climbed out). He was just contemplating whether it was worthwhile trying to go back to sleep when he heard his mom’s voice from outside.

‘Nancy? Is that you?’

 _Crap_. He scrambled out of his bedroom to the front door, where his mom was just leading Nancy back into the house. She must have gone out on the porch for an early morning smoke, unable to sleep – she looked exhausted.

‘You need to drive Nancy home,’ his mom said simply. Definitely not the angry response he’d expected. But coming from a woman who usually called everyone sweetheart, it was worryingly cool.

*

After he'd dropped Nancy at home (promising to pick her up for school in a couple of hours), he came back to find his mom waiting for him on the couch.

'Well, I'd been meaning to ask what was going on with you two,' she said. 'Is this new, or have I just not been paying attention?'

Jonathan half-smiled. 'Uh, no, it's new.' He sat next to her on the couch.

'I'm very happy for you,' his mom said. 'But I can't believe you were going to let her ride all the way over to Maple Street in the pitch dark! What if there was frost on the road? Or some drunk coming home from an all-night bender?'

Even before she’d finished speaking, he knew she was right. How could he have been so stupid? ‘Shit! I mean—sorry. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. It’s just—I really have no idea what I’m doing.’ The glow of waking up beside Nancy was fading, and it was dawning on him that he had no frigging clue how to be a good boyfriend.

His mom patted his knee. ‘You’ll be fine, sweetie,’ she said. ‘Maybe just … try asking yourself in any situation, _What would Lonnie do?_ and then do the opposite.’

Jonathan laughed. ‘No problem! That’s already my life’s philosophy.’ He paused for a moment. ‘I’ll try to be more like Bob instead.’

Joyce smiled, but he saw a cloud of pain come over her eyes. It was hard to believe the gentle, kind man who had brought so much happiness to her life in the past few months was really gone. Jonathan felt like an asshole for the times he’d rolled his eyes at Bob’s cheesy jokes and terrible taste in movies and music.

‘Yeah,’ she said softly. ‘That’s a good idea.’ Then she shook her head a little, as though shaking away the sad memories. ‘Just be kind to her, okay? And make sure she’s good to you too. Because deserve that – you’re pretty great, y’know?’

Jonathan just rolled his eyes.

‘But no more sleepovers, okay?’ his mom continued. ‘That is not a conversation I want to have with Karen and Ted Wheeler. The two of you can just come here after school to have sex. I’m never home before six-thirty, anyway.’

‘Oh my god, Mom!’ His stomach dropped. He was pretty sure he would never be able to have sex again after hearing that.

She waved away his objections. ‘Honestly, it’s fine! As long as you’re being safe. I need to go to the drugstore today to get some things for Will anyway, so I’ll pick up some condoms for you while I’m there. Is there a particular kind that you like?’

Jonathan just stared up at the corner of the ceiling, hoping with every fibre of his being that a portal would open up there and a Demogorgon would come out of it and kill him.


End file.
